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WTVQ
WTVQ-DT, virtual channel 36 (UHF digital channel 40), is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Lexington, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Morris Multimedia. WTVQ-DT's studios and transmitter are located on the outer loop of Man o' War Boulevard (a.k.a. KY 1425) in the Brighton section of Fayette County. By coincidence, competitor WKYT-TV's studios are just across Winchester Road from the Channel 36 facilities. On cable, WTVQ-DT is seen on Charter Spectrum channel 10 in the Lexington area. History The station launched as WBLG-TV on June 2, 1968, and was located on channel 62. At the time, this was one of the highest full-power television channels assigned in the country. It was founded by Lexington area businessman Roy White and Reeves Broadcasting along with WBLG radio (AM 1300, now WLXG), and was the third commercial television station to begin broadcasting in the Lexington market. From the first day of operation, and because of its radio sister's affiliation with ABC, WBLG was the ABC affiliate for central Kentucky. WKYT, the former primary affiliated with ABC, became the CBS affiliate. Reeves Broadcasting went into bankruptcy and eventually White ended up as the sole owner of WBLG-TV. In 1974, the station changed its call letters to the current WTVQ-TV after White sold the TV station to Starr Broadcasting company, while White retained ownership of WBLG radio. Eventually, Starr Broadcasting also went into bankruptcy. In 1979, Shamrock Broadcasting purchased the station from Starr Broadcasting. Shamrock was wholly owned by Roy Disney, nephew of Walt and son of Walt's brother Roy. In 1980, Shamrock installed a new 1.5 million watt transmitter and moved WTVQ from channel 62 to channel 36 in June of that year (channel 62 later carried the now-defunct WBLU-LP). The station underwent a major renovation in 1985 that doubled the existing office space and created all new technical facilities. On January 30, 1992, Park Broadcasting purchased WTVQ from Shamrock Broadcasting. In July 1995, Park Communications was sold to Gary B. Knapp and Donald R. Tomlin, Jr. under the name Park Acquisitions. Media General purchased Park Acquisitions and its properties (including WTVQ) in January 1997. On February 26, 2002, it became central Kentucky's first commercial television station to broadcast a digital television signal on UHF channel 40. Soon afterward, it became the area's first commercial digital television channel to broadcast programming in high definition. On October 29, 2007, Media General announced that it was exploring the sale of WTVQ. On January 22, 2008, the Lexington Herald-Leader mentioned the sale of the station. That headline was confirmed on March 7 when Media General announced it reached an agreement to sell WTVQ to Morris Multimedia for an undisclosed sales price. That price will likely be disclosed with either the FCC or SEC though a media consulting analyst in the $30–35 million range. The sale became final on May 13. In June 2008, Morris Network named Chris Aldridge as General Manager of WTVQ. Aldridge previously served as the station's General Manager from 1992 until 1999. It was announced on October 31, 2008, that WTVQ-DT2 would become the Lexington market affiliate for MyNetworkTV, replacing WBLU-LP in the wake of WWE's Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV; WBLU's low-power status and weak schedule meant that it had little possibility of cable carriage, and the network had to find quickly an affiliate in the market with full-market coverage. On January 1, 2009, WTVQ-DT2 officially became a full-time MyNetworkTV affiliate under the branding "MyTVQ2" after two months of only carrying Smackdown! on Friday nights, with a repeat after the Saturday late news on WTVQ's main channel. It also simulcasted the 24-hour weather channel during overnights until April 2009. The station shutdown its analog signal at 11:59 p.m. on February 17, 4 months before the day that all television stations in the U.S. transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate on June 12, 2009. WTVQ-TV's official calls became WTVQ-DT on June 17, 2009. On December 7, 2011, WTVQ replaced 24-hour weather on WTVQ-DT3 with Antenna TV. On June 1, 2015, WTVQ re-branded WTVQ-DT2 from "MyTVQ2" to "MyKentuckyTV". In early 2016, WTVQ launched Laff on WTVQ-DT4. Later in the summer, WTVQ launched two more networks: Justice Network on 36.3, moving Antenna TV to 36.6, and Escape on channel 36.5. These were joined by Grit in early June 2017 on channel 36.7, giving the network a new home in the Lexington market after it was dropped by Sinclair-owned WDKY-TV in early 2017. Quest replaced Antenna TV in early 2018, with the Antenna TV affiliation falling to the third sub-channel of Beattyville-based WLJC-TV. Category:ABC Affiliates Category:MyNetworkTV Affiliates Category:Channel 36 Category:Lexington Category:Kentucky Category:1968 Category:Television channels and stations established in 1968 Category:Morris Multimedia Category:UHF Category:ABC Kentucky Category:MyNetworkTV Kentucky Category:1974 Category:2009